The Test
by HiddenInTheTardis
Summary: Rose reverts to childish tactics to determine the Doctor's feelings for her. How will he react to The Test? Ten/Rose.
1. Shareen

The Test

Disclaimer: Doctor Who ain't mine. Neither is Halfords.

_Takes place sometime during series two, after The Age of Steel._

Chapter 1: Shareen

The unmistakable grinding sound of the TARDIS echoed through the empty streets of the Powell Estate. An inexplicable breeze made leaves and litter rise from the floor and flutter away as the time machine slowly materialised in front of a graffiti-adorned brick wall. Rose fell out of the TARDIS, stumbling on the pavement and laughing at the top of her voice, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"That was the worst landing _ever_!" she said when she could finally talk.

The Doctor appeared in the doorway a moment later, a slightly embarrassed frown fixed on his face. "Well, you shouldn't have dared me!"

"I didn't!"

The Doctor locked the TARDIS door, and Rose linked arms with him as they headed down the street.

"You might as well have," he grumbled.

Rose started giggling again. "All I asked was if you had any party tricks. Piloting the TARDIS one-handed didn't exactly work out for ya, did it?"

He pushed her playfully, not letting go of her arm.

They reached the end of the road and stood staring at the crossroads. Rose looked up at the Time Lord with curiosity. "Are you sure it's the only place you can get it is Halfords?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Halfords is great! Car and TARDIS owners' dream! You'd be surprised what you can find there."

Rose groaned, and looked towards a block of flats. "Well, I'm sure I would be, but considering I don't have a car and I dunno what parts the TARDIS needs, I'm gonna give it a miss. Gonna go see Shareen, okay? Over there, number 45."

The Doctor made a mental note of the flat number, and nodded. Okay, won't be long. Go and have fun."

Rose squeezed his arm affectionately and they parted ways.

Rose wrapped her arms around her against the chill in the air. Normally she'd only be coming back here to see her mum, but Jackie was away visiting family. She'd made a big scene about having to go without Rose, but the latter had held her resolve. She felt a little guilty about it, but ever since Mickey had left so unexpectedly, she'd felt a need to be with the Doctor, as if he would be torn away from her at any moment.

She eventually reached Shareen's flat. She missed her friend, she had to admit. They'd been best friends for years, and she wasn't looking forward to blagging her way out of her disappearance. She took a deep breath and rapped on the door.

Ten minutes later, Rose found herself settled in a squashy sofa next to her best friend, who was beaming like a loon. Two cups of tea sat on the coffee table, and the whole thing seemed so domestic that Rose couldn't help but smile.

"So, I want to hear _everything_," Shareen was saying in an animated fashion. "Jackie told me you've been travelling; are you back for good now?"

Rose hated the disappointed look in her friend's eyes as she shook her head. "Just back for a bit. Going again later today."

"So soon?"

Rose put on an apologetic face, not really knowing what to say. Travelling with the Doctor for so long had left her domestic social skills in tatters.

"Well, I'm here now," she stated as a peace offering, taking a sip of her tea.

Shareen smiled again. "So, your mum said you've been travelling with some sort of doctor. Is he good looking?"

Rose sputtered her tea, surprised at her friend's bluntness. She'd forgotten Shareen wasn't particularly tactful. Carefully putting down her tea, she tried to formulate an answer.

"Um... I guess." She couldn't help a faint blush rising up her cheeks.

Shareen giggled at her reaction. "You _like_ him!" she said in a sing-song voice.

Rose managed a little smile. She'd missed having a friend to confide in about guys.

"Yeah," was all she could say.

Shareen squealed a little too excitedly. "I knew it! So... what's he like?"

"He's..." _An alien? A Lord of Time with two hearts and a living ship?_ "...He's a good man."

Shareen nodded in approval. "And a _doctor_! You minx, Rose!"

"Hey, we're not... like _that_," Rose replied quickly, her blushes growing worse.

"Oh." Shareen thought. "Must be hard, travelling together, and... you know... _not_ together."

_You don't know the half of it_, Rose sighed to herself.

Shareen watched her reaction carefully. "Does he like you?"

Rose shrugged, taking her tea to her lips once more.

Shareen laughed light-heartedly. "Maybe you should do... The Test."

Rose's eyes boggled at her words. "I'm... I'm not pregnant."

"No, you daft lass! Remember, when we were in school? The Test?"

Rose finally caught on, and smiled at the memory. Back in high school the two of them had used several teen mags and chick flicks to devise a series of subtle experiments to find out if a boy liked them; the whole idea came to be known as The Test. It worked like a charm back then; or at least, it got Shareen a date for the prom.

"We're not fifteen anymore, Shar."

"True, but guys never really grow up, do they?"

There was a knock at the door, and Shareen went to go and answer it. Rose grinned to herself. _I guess The Test _was_ a pretty accurate thing to go by..._

Shareen returned a moment later with a cheeky smile on her face and the Doctor in tow. He was carrying a bicycle tyre and a few small metal contraptions in a carrier bag. He seemed a bit disturbed by Shareen's giddiness, and smiled at Rose, with a gesture that they should leave.

Rose left Shareen at her door with a big hug. The latter whispered in her ear.

"Don't forget."

"I'm not gonna do it, Shar."

"Trust me!" Shareen looked over Rose's shoulder at the Doctor. "So, Doctor...?"

"Smith," the Doctor replied, to save complications.

"Doctor Smith... any relation to Mickey?" Shareen asked Rose with a questioning face.

Rose made a gesture that said 'don't even go there.'

Shareen took the hint and returned her attention to the Doctor. "Doctor Smith, have you ever heard of The Test?"

Rose's eyes widened, and she glared at her friend, before pushing the intrigued Doctor away.

"Nice to catch up, Shareen, see you again soon!"

The two of them made their way across the street towards the TARDIS. Rose could tell the Doctor was pondering what Shareen had said.

Sure enough, the first words out of his mouth were: "So, what's The Test?"

Rose waved her hand dismissively, already planning her first move. "Oh, nothing." She smiled to herself, mischief in her eyes. "Nothing."

----

_What do you think? I've got some great ideas for this story, so please keep an eye open for the next chapter. For anyone outside the UK, Halfords is a well-known store that sells car and bike parts, but you've probably guessed that lol! Thanks for reading, please take a moment to leave a review xx_


	2. The Test Begins

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed and/or subscribed to the first chapter, I'm so happy at the great response! Enjoy chapter 2 xx_

Chapter 2: The Test Begins

They eventually reached the TARDIS, and Rose closed the door behind them. The Doctor dumped the bag of spare parts down on the metal floor with a clang, and rushed over to the controls. Rose watched him as he sped round the controls, partaking in what Rose could only describe as a raindance around the column as he piloted the amazing ship away from London. She walked idly around to his side, deliberately letting her hand slide along the cold railings, then along the console.

_Right,_ she thought to herself._ If I'm going to do this, I'm gonna go by the book. The Test: exactly as we used to in school._

_STEP 1: FIND OUT HIS NAME._

This could prove to be a problem. Sure, they'd known each other for nearly two years now, but she'd never found out his name. His real name. She cringed as she remembered questioning him about it soon after they'd first met. They were on Platform One at the time, and she'd started panicking about her situation. She'd instantly regretted asking what he was called when she got a flurry of anger directed back at her. Boy, he was a grump back then! But now... he was different. Maybe he'd be more open with her now.

He noticed Rose had sidled round to him, and looked at her. He puzzled over her expression, a mixture of curiosity, mischief and... something else he couldn't quite place. He smiled anyway. Rose's expression unconsciously changed to a more mischievous grin, putting the Doctor on edge. She was up to something.

"Doctor?" she asked in a persuasive voice.

"Hmm?" he replied warily.

"What's my name?"

He was surprised at the question.

"What?"

"What's my name?"

"You know what your name is, Rose."

"What's my full name?"

He turned from the controls, leaning back against the console with his arms crossed across his chest. He stared at her with interest, a small smile escaping his lips.

"Dame Rose Marion Tyler." He said it with affection, letting it roll off his tongue and visibly savouring the words.

Rose nodded her approval. "You know my name."

"Of course I do. You're my... you're my best friend, Rose. What's all this about?"

Rose took a deep breath, knowing that this could go either very well or very badly. "What's your name?"

He shifted in his shoes, visibly uncomfortable with the question. "Sir Doctor of TARDIS."

Rose's eyes fluttered closed in annoyance. "No, I mean, what's your _real_ name?"

The Doctor stared at her, his eyes piercing her soul without revealing anything. She could never look away when he looked at her like that. No one else ever looked at her like that.

"I'm... just... the Doctor, Rose."

He turned deliberately back to the controls, needlessly flicking switches and turning dials, getting a tone of objection from the TARDIS.

But Rose didn't back off. She pressed the topic. "But you can't _always_ have been known as 'the Doctor'." She sighed, her lip pushed out in a little pout. "Like you said, we're best friends, and you know my full name..."

The Doctor leaned his hands against the controls and closed his eyes momentarily. This was out of the blue. He couldn't tell her, not yet. He had always intended on telling her someday. But not today. He turned back to Rose, hoping she could see past his words to his reasons for being secretive.

"I'll tell you one day, Rose. Not today. For now... I'm just the Doctor. Isn't that enough?"

Rose's heart melted at his vulnerability. So much for Step 1. She sighed, and smiled, reaching out for his hand on the controls.

"That's plenty, Doctor."

He smiled with relief, and turned back to the controls. Rose checked her mental list. She'd have to try Step 2. She carefully sneaked out of the room.

The Doctor busied himself around the console, completely oblivious to the fact that Rose wasn't in the room any more. He was too busy gabbing away about intergalactic desserts.

"...honestly, you wouldn't believe the sundaes, I... Rose?" He turned around. He looked all around the console. Nope. Definitely not there. He frowned a little to himself. Where had she got to?

----

_STEP 2: MAKE SURE HE LIKES WOMEN._

Rose smiled at the thought of this one. She was certain he wasn't gay. She thought of all the times Captain Jack had tried his cheeky ways on the Doctor, and the latter's reaction to their friend. True, he was a different man back then, but he can't have changed_ that_ much. Maybe he just wasn't interested in _anyone_. No, that couldn't be it. Rose refused to believe that was possible...

She wondered how she could test this theory. Several crazy ideas passed through her head before she settled on, in her opinion, the most interesting option. She smiled cheekily to herself.

The Doctor made his way down the corridors of the ship, heading for Rose's room. That's where he guessed she was. He hadn't even heard her leave the control room. He turned the door knob and peered into the room.

"Rose?"

No answer, so he opened the door a little wider and stepped into her room. It always intrigued him how she managed to make it so homely: photo frames, her favourite childhood bear, several mismatched alien girlie magazines, every perfume bottle, make up brush and lotion known to mankind and alien alike. It made him smile; he was glad she was at home here.

He looked over at the door leading to her bathroom, and noticed steam pouring out from under it. He ventured closer.

"Rose? I'm gonna fix those fused bits on the console, do you want me to land somewhere so you can get some fresh air?"

No answer.

"Rose?"

A piercing scream erupted from the bathroom and filled his ears.

"Doctor!"

"Rose? What's wrong?" He hesitated briefly before opening the bathroom door. He found Rose in quite a predicament.

The shower was going wild, spraying hot water all over the room. Steam was billowing out and shrouding every surface, making the air hot and heavy. And Rose was trapped behind the stream of water, wrapped in a minuscule towel, unable to move because of the powerful bursts from the shower. He had to resist the urge to laugh. "What happened here?"

"Just switch it off, would you?"

The Doctor fished his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, and flashed it a few times at the shower head, drenching his hair and jacket in the process. A few moments later the flurry of water stopped, and the Doctor held up the screwdriver in triumph with a huge grin. It was soon wiped from his face when he saw Rose's predicament.

Rose smiled cheekily as she noticed his reaction to her towel. She gestured for his hand. Trying not to blush, he helped her up from the floor, trying to look anywhere except at _her_. Rose giggled a little.

"Thank you," she said with slightly hooded eyes.

He trued to say 'you're welcome,' but it came out as a high pitched squeak. Rose could barely suppress her laughter.

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" she asked in a low, deliberate voice.

He shook his head vigorously, abruptly letting go of her hand and stepping back. "Nope, nothing."

"Did you want to ask me something?"

For once, his mind went blank. He swallowed, trying not to focus on the wet towel. "I... I have no idea." He turned on his heels and left abruptly, rubbing the back of his neck with vigour.

Rose took a deep breath, and smiled to herself.

_Definitely _not_ gay..._

_----_

_A/N: Tee hee what do you think of chapter 2? Thanks for reading, please take a moment to review. Next Rose attempts to test Step 3: What will he do for me? Will be very interesting! xx_


	3. What Would You Do?

_A/N: Thank you again to everyone who's read, reviewed, subscribed or favourited this story._

Chapter 3: What Would You Do?

The Doctor ran back to his room, grabbed a towel from his cupboard and rubbed his hair thoroughly, trying to calm down.

_Where has all this come from? She's never had this effect on me before,_ he lied to himself, examining his hair self-consciously in the mirror. He grimaced as he realised the water from the shower had soaked through his jacket to his shirt. He peeled off the pinstripes, and started undoing his shirt buttons.

Rose grinned to herself as she stirred the tea. She really shouldn't have done something so drastic, especially only at the beginning of the The Test. He really had been stumbling over himself when he'd noticed what she was wearing. _Poor Doctor_. She banished that thought immediately. _No, it's his fault in the first place, making me resort to childish games like this. Time for STEP 3: WHAT WILL HE DO FOR ME? _She took a deep breath, and took the two mugs out of the kitchen with a determined stride.

A knock on his bedroom door made the Doctor turn on his heels. Not that he could actually see the door in his current predicament. "Yeah?"

"I thought you might be cold from the shower, so I brought you a cuppa."

"Oh, great, thanks... I'll be there in a minute."

A pause. "Is something wrong?"

The Doctor tried to shake his head. "Nope."

"Are you sure? Your voice is a bit... muffled."

"Really? Well, no, I'm fine."

He heard a laugh in her voice. "Well then, I'm coming in."

"Rose don-"

Too late. She opened the door, brandishing the two mugs of tea. She stopped dead in her tracks, a huge grin erupting on her face. The Doctor had been trying to get his wet shirt off, but several buttons wouldn't undo, so he'd try to pull it over his head, getting stuck in the process.

"I er... got a bit stuck," he commented lamely.

"I can see that," Rose chuckled, mentally noting her first sight of his bare chest. She put the tea down on his bedside cabinet, and helped him escape his shirt. It eventually pulled free of his body, and Rose held it up in front of him teasingly. He grabbed it from her in embarrassment. He'd never actually got _stuck_ in a _shirt _before. It was a bit shaming.

"Thanks," he murmured, and turned to put the shirt in the laundry basket. He turned back to see that Rose hadn't taken her eyes off his bare torso. He smiled a little smugly, and repeated her own words back at her.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she managed to say, tearing her eyes away and looking into his.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she replied, pushing his arm playfully, her palm tingling a little at the contact.

She gestured to the tea, and the Doctor took one of the mugs gratefully. He frowned, suddenly realising that she seemed remarkably well presented for someone who had just been fighting with their shower. He raised an eyebrow. "You got dressed quick." Then he noticed _what_ she was wearing: that infamous dungaree dress over a yellow t-shirt and black boots. He sighed.

_Does she do this on purpose?_

"Yeah, well, I... was excited about today."

"Oh? What's today?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Nothing really. I just thought... it's been a while since we saw my mum-"

The Doctor spluttered on his tea at the mention of Jackie.

"-and I thought maybe we could go visit her on her birthday."

He visibly grimaced at the thought. But she gave him that look, that look that made him melt. He sighed.

"Okay."

Rose clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! Let's go."

The Doctor stared at her. "What, right now?!"

----

The Doctor cringed as the fifth drunk woman with a party hat commented on his suit and tried to plant a smacker on his cheek. He just smiled politely and pushed her towards a man dancing to YMCA. He shoved his way through the crowd in the tiny flat towards the bookshelf, the only thing he could really relate to in the room at that moment. He slipped his glasses onto the end of his nose, and peered at several of the volumes, chuckling to himself when he noticed they were all celebrity biographies and hairdressing books. He should have known.

He turned around as the crowd erupted in applause, and Jackie appeared from somewhere with her arm around her daughter. Both girls had an empty champagne glass in their hand and Jackie looked a lot more than merry. The Doctor shrunk into the corner, trying to hide behind his glasses as she scanned the crowd. But then her voice drowned out the general chit chat in the room.

"THERE HE IS!" she screeched in a high pitched voice, and stumbled over to him. He looked over her shoulder at Rose, who shot him a few pitying looks before disappearing into a corner to talk to Shareen.

"Still with Doctor Smith, then?" Shareen noted as she followed Rose's gaze to the uncomfortable Time Lord trapped between Jackie and the bookshelf.

Rose wondered what she meant for a moment, but then realised that her mum's birthday was a good three months after their last visit to London. Time travel plays havoc with your social life!

"Yeah, yeah," she confirmed. "Still travelling."

Shareen watched her friend, noticing she never took her eyes off the intriguing Doctor.

"So, how did The Test go?"

Rose giggled at that. "Only up to Step 3."

"Is that all? It's been months! You're out of practice, girl."

"No, no, just... been busy."

Shareen gave a knowing nod that Rose didn't notice. "So, what's the deal with him? What's he a doctor of? I don't even know his first name."

But Rose wasn't listening. She glanced back at her friend momentarily.

"Yeah, sorry, I'll tell you in a minute, okay? Just got to..." she left, heading in the Doctor's direction.

Shareen grinned at her, and yelled through the crowd. "Don't scrimp on Step 4, Rose!"

Jackie grinned at the Doctor before falling over her own shoes, and took a moment steadying herself against the Time Lord's arm. He took off his glasses and looked at her with false interest.

"You alright, Jackie?"

Jackie was beaming at him._ She _must_ be drunk..._

"I am, Doctor, I am. Because I... what's this?"

She held up her empty champagne glass, taking a moment to recognise it. "Oh, yeah. Aw, it's empty. I need 'nother one." She looked back up at the Doctor. "What was I saying? Oh yeah. I _am_ alright, Doctor. Because you brought my daughter home for my birthday. You're just a big softy, really, aren't you?"

He grinned uncomfortably. Jackie giggled like a little girl, and grabbed the Doctor's face, planting a big, wet kiss on his cheek, before stumbling and falling over again. This time she fell towards Bev, and Bev took her into the kitchen for another drink. The Doctor was frozen to the spot in horror.

Rose reached the Doctor and found him staring into space with a look of shock and terror. She grinned, having witnessed the cause of his breakdown. She poked him playfully.

"You okay?"

He managed a small nod. He had to swallow before speaking. "Um... let's not see your mother again for a while."

Rose giggled, and linked arms with him. "Thanks for doing this, Doctor. It was very... _domestic_ of you."

He was starting to feel more like himself. He shuddered. "Yes, very domestic."

"Well, like I said, thank you."

He managed a small smile when he saw her sympathetic face. "I'd do anything for you, Rose."

The song abruptly changed: someone had changed the CD to the Mamma Mia soundtrack.

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "Even... dance?"

His eyes widened, but Rose ignored his protests as she dragged him into the middle of the overcrowded room.

----

_A/N: Poor Doctor. Aren't I a meanie?! Well, that's Step 3 complete; Step 4's gonna be a corker! Thanks for reading, please leave a review! xx_


	4. Jealous Much?

_A/N: Wow! 41 reviews so far! Thank you all so much, I really appreciate your support. _

_Now, on to Step 4... xx_

Chapter 4: Jealous Much?

Rose woke up slowly, and pulled her pillow over her face to try and mask her ferocious headache. She tried to work out if she was still in her mum's flat. She strained her ears, and vaguely recognised the familiar hum of the TARDIS between the throbs in her forehead. She groaned, the sound way too loud and echoey in her temples. Just for a moment, she wished she was back in the flat. Her mum had always been an expert with hangovers. Rose never knew what she fed her, but she was always as good as new by lunchtime. She knew the Doctor was a particularly caring soul, and had taken care of her every need when she'd sprained her ankle on an alien moon a few weeks ago. But he was also an advocate of 'no second chances,' and she guessed that he'd consider a hangover to be self-inflicted and therefore would offer no comfort.

So consider her amazement when she heard a loud rapping at her door, followed by the Time Lord's cheery voice: "Morning! I've got you some tea!"

Rose grumbled incoherently from under her pillow. Despite her grumpiness, she was glad he was there. He opened the door with a loud clatter, but Rose refused to take her pillow off her face.

"Thought you might need this." He perched on the edge of the bed with a bounce – and without spilling a single drop of the tea. "So where do you want to go today? I was thinking maybe 1776, watch the Declaration of Independence being signed."

He stopped as Rose threw her pillow behind her head, and leaned up on her elbows.

"You can only stay here if you're quiet," she whispered, her voice croaky and her eyes barely open. Her hair was knotted and frizzy, but at least she'd had the good sense to take her make up off before she fell into bed.

The Doctor smiled sympathetically, and lowered his voice. "Feeling rough?"

Rose impulsively took his question as a remark about her appearance, and immediately ran her fingertips under her eyes and smoothed down her hair. The Doctor saw her fussing, and tried to backtrack.

"No no no no no, I didn't mean you look... Rose, you always look... great."

Rose couldn't help smiling despite her headache. "Do I?"

The Doctor just smiled, and passed her the mug. She accepted it gratefully and held it to her lips, breathing in the warm steam. She took a small sip.

"What have you put in this?" she inquired, grimacing at the unexpected taste.

"Just a little pick-me-up. Drink it, you'll feel better."

Rose reluctantly took another sip. It tasted like a mix of every herbal tea she'd ever tasted. She shifted under her duvet, and the Doctor couldn't help but notice the skimpiness of her attire. She grinned when she saw him look away awkwardly: it wasn't as if she'd worn the lacy little nightie on purpose...

"Is something wrong, Doctor?"

He shook his head, trying not to catch her eye. "Nope, nothing wrong."

Rose finished her drink, and put the empty mug down on the bedside table. She felt her headache dissipating.

"Hmmm, that _does_ feel better." She shuffled closer to the Doctor, and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Thank you, Doctor." She grinned at him, her warm breath brushing against his neck.

He managed nothing but a small whimper. _She really knows how to torture me!_

"I... um... okay, scrap 1776, I've got a good idea. Get up!" One more glance at her flimsy nightwear. "Get dressed." He left her room and shut the door behind him.

Rose giggled to herself, wrapping her arms around the soft duvet. She felt a little guilty: she really had gone overboard with The Test., but she wasn't the type of girl to leave a job half-finished. She headed over to her wardrobe.

_Time for Step 4..._

----

When Rose appeared in the control room the Doctor just stared.

_She really _must_ do this on purpose_.

"Are you sure that's entirely... practical?" he managed to venture after several moments of awkward silence.

Rose looked down at her appearance. She'd chosen her simple outfit carefully: a fairly short black skirt with a white fitted shirt and black boots. Not her usual choice, but she felt that a special effort was needed for STEP 4: MAKE HIM JEALOUS.

"What's the matter, don't you like it?"

The Doctor took a moment to clear his throat. "Of course I do, it's... um... yeah. But I think it's a bit too much for today."

Rose sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "Why, where are we?"

The Doctor grinned, and ran over to the door, opening it wide so she could look out.

"The Gofforrian Racetrack!"

----

Rose had grinned excitedly to herself that morning while choosing her outfit. _This'll get him looking_, she'd thought. She'd even spent extra time doing her hair. But now she felt less than wonderful, wrapped up in the Doctor's long, brown coat, her breath hitting the cold air in front of her face like a cloud of smoke. Her dusty and slightly grimy surroundings made her wish the Doctor had left her in bed.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was loving the whole experience, grinning from ear to ear as he chatted to various passers by. Rose clung to his arm, trying not to fall over in her boots. They pushed their way through the crowd until their hands met with a metal railing. The Doctor leaned over it excitedly, peering over to the right. A whole line of shuttles of all shapes, sizes and materials were ready and waiting at the bottom of a vast, rattly ramp that ended abruptly about forty meters in the air.

"That's the start line," he explained. "All the shuttles head off at the same time, leaving the atmosphere and circling round the system before landing on the next planet along. It's an annual event, and people come from all over the galaxy to participate. Or just to watch."

But Rose was only half-listening. She'd spotted someone who could help her with Step 4: the pilot of the nearest shuttle was proudly polishing his ship, and smiling in her direction. He seemed fairly human in appearance: blond hair, green eyes, slightly muscular. Not Rose's type at all. _But_, she thought to herself, _all's fair in love and war._

The Doctor was oblivious. "Wait here, I'm going to see if I can get a brochure." He disappeared into the crowd. And almost as soon as he had, the blond pilot ventured over. Rose smiled politely, feeling a bit awkward now that the Doctor wasn't actually there.

"Good luck with the race," she said.

The pilot beamed at her. "Thank you. Does that mean I have your...full support, Miss...?"

"Rose," she replied trying not to cringe at his cheesy comment.

A loud klaxon sounded, indicating that the pilots should take their starting positions. Blond Pilot, as Rose decided to call him, winked at her and headed back to his shuttle. Rose nearly gagged.

_I don't think this guy would even have a chance with Jack!_

She shifted in her boots, and suddenly noticed that the Doctor was back at her side. _How long has he been there?_ By the look on his face, he'd been there long enough.

"What's _he_ want?" he asked, not taking his eyes from his brochure.

Rose sighed, regretting the whole situation. "Just... asking if he had my 'full support'."

The Doctor gave a disdainful look. "Really?"

Rose couldn't help but smile at his face. "Yeah. Cheesy line, I know, but... he's a race-car driver."

"Race-_shuttle_ driver."

"I wonder how fast he can drive?"

She didn't have to wait long for her answer, as the klaxon sounded again and with a deafening roar the whole amalgamation of shuttles shot from their starting positions, up the ramp, and off into the atmosphere in less than a second.

"Wow," Rose breathed. "Impressive."

Rose was referring to the race, but the Doctor understood her to mean the pilot. He felt something dark flutter in his chest. What could it be? Could it be... jealousy?

It was too much for him. With a set jaw and a determined face, he took Rose's hand and dragged her back to the TARDIS, the tails of his coat flapping around Rose's ankles.

----

"Well, what do you think?"

"Yeah, this is a lot better."

"Bet your pilot friend can't do this!"

The two of them were sat on the step of the TARDIS with the door wide open, their legs swinging over the edge into nothingness. Rose refused to let go of the door frame despite the Doctor's assurances that the TARDIS was protecting them and it was therefore impossible to fall out. Rose's eyes sparkled in awe as she saw yet another shuttle fly past them along the unmarked race track, 13,000 miles above the planet's atmosphere. She watched as a trail of almost sparkling dust was left in the shuttle's wake, and floated away in a nonchalant fashion. She squeezed the Doctor's arm and he grinned, every trace of jealousy now gone and replaced with pride of his wonderful ship.

"_He's_ not got a time machine."

Rose giggled. "No one's got a time machine. Except for you."

"Except for _us_," he corrected, smiling down at her.

Rose grinned, then turned back to the race. Another shuttle was approaching.

"Oh look, there's Blond Pilot!" She laughed at the poor pilot's astonished face at seeing two people hanging out of a blue box in the middle of space. "Wave, Doctor!"

The Doctor chuckled, and they both waved cheesily at the confused blond.

Rose looked back at the Doctor and smiled.

_Step 4: Make him jealous... I just can't do it to him. How could anyone else come close?_

----

_A/N: Hope you liked Step 4. Next time Rose contacts Shareen for a little more advice. _

_Thanks for reading, please stop to leave a review! xx_


	5. Ice Cream and Flirtatious Women

_A/N: Great big hugs and cheers for everyone who's reviewed, favourited, or subscribed to the story. I love you all! I'm so excited to finally find out who the 11th Doctor will be! I won't post his name, in case some people don't want to know yet (However, if you don't know but you _want to know_ by all means send me a message and I'll tell you)._

_Anyway, on to Chapter 5... xx_

_----_

Chapter 5: Ice Cream and Flirtatious Women

The phone rang several times before Shareen picked up.

"_Rose, are you okay? You haven't ever phoned me since you've been with your Doctor."_

Rose sighed in exasperation. "He's not _my _Doctor," she protested.

"_Are you sure about that?"_

"Well... I'm working on it."

Shareen laughed into the phone. _"Okay. So how's The Test going?"_

Rose sighed again. "I'm not sure. It _was_ going well..."

Shareen had an organised mind and was soon reading through the list, checking off each step on her fingers.

"_Right, so Step 1 doesn't really apply; you already know his name."_

Rose frowned a little. It still upset her that the Doctor wouldn't tell her his name. He said he would one day. She guessed she just had to be patient.

"Yeah, Step 1... done."

"_Okay, Step 2. Are you sure he's not gay?"_

Rose giggled at the thought of his face when he'd seen her in _that_ towel. "Oh yeah, definitely straight."

"_Right. Step 3?"_

"He came to the birthday party. My mum _kissed_ him. I forced him to dance for nearly an hour. I think I've pretty much got his wrapped round my little finger."

Shareen sighed dreamily. _ "Sounds like he's already fallen for you, sweetie."_

Rose groaned. "I don't know... sometimes, the way he looks at me makes me think... maybe... but I need to be sure."

Shareen was getting a little annoyed at her friend. She really was blind sometimes.

"_Well, how about Step 4?"_

"I couldn't do it. The look on his face... I couldn't bear it, Shar."

"_Well, what are you going to do next?"_

"That's kind of why I'm ringing you. I don't really think I'm comfortable with the next one. It wouldn't work anyway. He's so oblivious."

Shareen grinned to herself. _"Then make it more obvious."_

----

The Doctor wandered the TARDIS corridors looking for Rose. It wasn't like her to be away from him for so long; she was usually somewhere in sight.

He was about to call her name when his keen hearing caught something coming from the library. He smiled: Rose's voice. He sneaked closer, hoping to make her jump. He paused just outside the door, wondering who she was talking to.

_Must be on the phone_, he decided. He listened carefully to what he could hear of the conversation.

"I'm working on it."

_What's she working on?_ he wondered.

"I'm not sure. It _was_ going well..."

_What's going well?_

"Step 1 done... oh, yeah, definitely straight."

_What was straight? This didn't make much sense._

"He came to the birthday party. My mum _kissed_ him. I forced him to dance for nearly an hour. I think I've pretty much got his wrapped round my little finger."

The colour visibly drained from the Doctor's face as he realised she was talking about _him_. He strained his ears to hear what she said next, but his hearts were drumming too loud for him to hear properly. He took a deep breath and calmed down his heart rate, before listening through the door once more.

"... he's so oblivious."

He heard her say her goodbyes, and he quickly removed himself from the door before she came out and saw him snooping. He ran off down the corridor, trying to work it all out in his mind. His first reaction was that of indignation. _She thinks she's got me wrapped round her pinkie? _He paused a moment to think about that pinkie. And then he thought of all the times he'd just dropped all his plans and taken her wherever she wished, done whatever she wanted... he sighed in defeat. _She _has_ got me wrapped round her finger. _But what could she possibly mean by 'he's oblivious'? He was the Lord of Time, the cleverest being in the Universe, what could he possibly be oblivious to? She was planning something. Her tone of voice had a cheeky menace to it when she'd said that last part. Yes, she was definitely up to something. He smiled to himself. _Well, whatever she's up to, I'll be ready for it._

Little did he know _exactly_ what she was up to.

----

Rose took a deep breath as she heard the Doctor coming down the corridor, whistling lightly to himself. She smiled to herself. _Step 5. Let's see how he reacts to this..._

The Doctor turned the corner to the kitchen to find Rose sat at the table with her legs tucked under her, carefully shaping a bowl of chocolate ice cream with a spoon. He swallowed as he saw her raise a small amount to her lips tantalisingly slowly. He almost forgot he was supposed to be looking out for her mysterious plan. He tore his eyes from her lips, cleared his throat and sat down opposite her.

Rose grinned at him, before focusing on her ice cream once more. The Doctor followed her movements, almost intoxicated. His mind glazed over a little. He was sure there was _something_ he was supposed to be watching out for...

"Doctor."

His name slipped from Rose's mouth in a deep, silky tone, making him shudder slightly.

"Yes?"

He watched her lips intently as she said, with dark, twinkling eyes, "Do you want some?"

The Doctor gave a quiet groan at her choice of words. But he noticed a twitch of a smile on her lips, and everything seemed to fall into place. Was she... flirting with him?

Always up for a challenge, he forced his eyes from her lips and gazed back at her with such intensity that Rose's cheeks flushed like her namesake. He leaned closer over the table, a small smirk lining his mouth.

"Would you let me?"

Rose wasn't expecting that reaction, but played along anyway.

"If you really want to, I suppose..." she tried to stop the coy smile spreading over her face, and pushed the bowl in his direction, offering him the spoon. He took it from her, his hand grazing against her's, sparking electricity between their skin. His exhale became a sigh as she leaned closer over the table, her breath blowing against his neck.

He smiled at her with dark eyes. He could hardly believe what was happening, what was running through his mind.

"I'd be very grateful," he played.

Rose grinned. She could barely believe The Test was working! It was such a silly little thing, intended for love-stuck kids. But here was the Doctor, eyes dark and slightly glazed, gazing at her as if he'd like to devour her just like the ice cream. And she had no idea why, but she panicked. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Not with the Doctor. It should be... proper, something magical. Not in the middle of an air of double-entendres and a melting bowl of ice cream. She pushed her chair back from the table, and stood up. When the Doctor looked up at her with questioning eyes, she just smiled.

"You can finish the ice cream. I'll see you in a bit." She left the kitchen, catching the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. _Step 4 is impossible. How am I supposed to be that flirty with the Doctor, especially when he's looking at me like that..._ She froze at that thought. The way he'd looked at her, like... she had no idea what it was like. There were no words to describe it.

The Doctor sat back on his chair, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. She really knew how to press his buttons. _Was she doing that on purpose? _ He sat up straight, realisation hitting him like lightening. _Was that her plan all along?_

----

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading Chapter 5. Now that the Doctor _thinks_ he knows what Rose is up to, how will he handle it? What will he do next? And what is Step 6? _

_Please take a moment to review xx_


	6. Are We Even?

_A/N: Once again I thank everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited and/or subscribed. I can't believe the response to this story, 75 reviews already! Thank you all so very very much. Special thanks go to _xkissfromarosex _for the interesting plot twist._

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Chapter 6: Are We Even?

The Doctor sat in the library with a large, dusty volume resting on his lap. He'd opened the book but had seen none of the words on the page. He was at that moment a recluse, withdrawn into the depths of his own mind. His mind was mulling, thinking, not to figure out some intricate enemy plan or an endless string of numbers, but to work out the depths and complexities that were the human known as Rose Tyler.

He rested his elbow on the arm of his armchair, and rested his head on his hand. He sighed. Rose had been... seducing him? He sniggered at the term. Most definitely not. Although her behaviour had been rather erratic and inexplicable of late. He hadn't mentioned it, knowing how hormonal and temperamental some women could be, especially Tyler women. He shuddered at the realisation that Rose could have inherited Jackie's unrivalled slapping prowess.

Getting back to the matter at hand, he wondered what Rose had meant by her actions. He knew four things (he ticked them off on his fingers as he listed them mentally): one, Rose was up to something, she'd had a cheeky glint in her eye for days; two, she had definitely flirted _on purpose_; three, if her blushes were anything to go by, she hadn't expected him to flirt back; and four, he knew that whatever she was up to, she hadn't finished yet.

He wondered why all this odd behaviour had started in the first place. His face unconsciously melted into the small, honest smile that was reserved for when he thought about Rose. She was such a wonderful person; the light and spark of her humanity had saved him in so many ways, and he had realised long ago that he was trapped. She meant so much to him, but the unspoken legacy of his home seemed to stifle his ability to be selfish, even for a moment. His mind was a mass of mixed emotions, half-remembered taboos and his own self-loathing. If he didn't focus too hard, it all made sense. But when he really pondered over the matter, he found himself drawing to an obvious conclusion about this wonderful girl, and it unnerved him. She'd always said he thought too much. His own emotions were taking over, and he was powerless to stop them. He frowned. He didn't like feeling powerless, it was such a rare state of affairs for him. _That girl..._

He closed his book with a bang, stood up, and wandered across the room to put it back on the shelf. His eyes meandered along the spines of the ancient volumes, many neglected and forgotten over the years. His eyes stopped at one such book: 'Across the Stars, a love story.' He noticed that the dust had been shaken from this particular book, and it wasn't in it's correct place.

_Must be Rose_, he decided. _Didn't think she'd be into something like this. But she has been spending a lot of time in here lately._ He picked up the leather bound volume, and absent-mindedly began flicking through the stiff, ageing pages. Not his kind of book, really, but he'd found it among his astronomy books a long time ago, and for some reason, he'd held on to it. Of course, he'd never admit to reading it...

He was distracted when something fell from the book to the floor, fluttering tauntingly on the way down like an autumn leaf on the breeze. He placed the book back on the shelf between 'Time Travel Theory in Motion' and 'TARDIS Malfunctions Explained,' and bent down to pick it up. His eyes widened in disbelief when he read the scrawled note on the paper.

----

Rose was looking for the Doctor. It seemed that was all she did lately. She smiled. Back at the party, Shareen had slipped something into her pocket, something Rose had almost forgotten about: the whole Test written down in list form. They were going to send it in to their favourite magazine, but they'd felt the need to test-drive it first. Of course, like most of their bright ideas, it never came to fruition – The Test never got to the public. Now, six years later, Rose couldn't believe she was resorting to this again. Funny thing was, it seemed to be working. She had a plan of attack set clearly in her mind. She was all ready for STEP 6: COMPLEMENT HIM. She'd thought this one through carefully, she had to be diligent. Complementing the Doctor could end up in a huge ego-boost on his part, and that would likely make him unbearable company for a few days. So she had constructed some brilliantly designed complements to make him turn to putty in her hands. That was the plan, anyway. Now, where was he?

----

The Doctor was sweating. _What the hell is this?_ It hadn't taken long for him to decipher the scribbled teenage handwriting. Nine 'steps.' There was no description, simply a title: The Test. Now, the Doctor may be slightly blind when it came to this sort of thing, but even he knew when he was the central focus of some sort of plot. And it seemed that Rose had been planning this all along. He couldn't help a tiny flutter of excitement growing in his stomach. _Of all the childish things... Still, he thought, if I'd have known... If she'd have just told me she... I would have..._ his thoughts trailed off, his own reserve refusing to let him finish those thoughts.

"Doctor?" Rose's voice floated down the corridor, through the open door and made the Doctor jump. He fumbled with the paper, concealing it in his pocket just in time. Rose appeared at the doorway, smiling when she saw him.

"I've been looking for you."

The Doctor's mind went blank for a moment. "I... um... I've been in here."

Rose couldn't help her little laugh. "I can see that." She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She smiled coyly at the Time Lord. "I just got out of the shower."

He wasn't expecting that, and it threw him off track again. "Oh... um... good?"

Rose nodded encouragingly, her tongue peeking out from behind her teeth in a smile. "You did a good job fixing it. It's perfect now."

The Doctor smiled. "Glad to be of help."

But Rose wasn't finished. "You always know what to do for the best, don't you, Doctor?"

He smiled, pride building in his chest. "I like to think so."

Rose thought she better leave it at that for now, before his ego raised it's head. She smiled gracefully, and turned back towards the door.

The Doctor frowned a little. "Didn't you say you were looking for me? Did you want something?"

Rose just grinned. "It can wait." She opened the door, peeking round it cheekily. "Oh, by the way, the glasses really suit you. You should _definitely _wear them more often." With that she disappeared down the corridor.

The Doctor raised his hand to his face. He hadn't even realised he's put them on. He shoved his hand into his jacket pocket and played idly with the sheet of paper, a small smile spreading across his face.

_If she wants to play, I'll play..._

----

_Hope you enjoyed it. It's gonna be a lot of fun now that the Doctor's in on the game. Please leave a review xx_


	7. I Could Get Used To This

_A/N: Thanks again for all the support with this story everyone! xx_

_A little quiet chapter before the real fun begins. Hope you like xx_

Chapter 7: I Could Get Used To This

_Previously:_

The Doctor frowned a little. "Didn't you say you were looking for me? Did you want something?"

Rose just grinned. "It can wait." She opened the door, peeking round it cheekily. "Oh, by the way, the glasses really suit you. You should _definitely _wear them more often." With that she disappeared down the corridor.

The Doctor raised his hand to his face. He hadn't even realised he'd put them on. He shoved his hand into his jacket pocket and played idly with the sheet of paper, a small smile spreading across his face.

_If she wants to play, I'll play..._

_----_

Rose closed her bedroom door and leaned back against it, taking a deep breath. That hadn't gone exactly as she had planned. She had planned to be sultry, intriguing, and mystical. Instead, she had nearly melted into a puddle of jelly at the sight of those _glasses_. He obviously had no idea just how attractive they were. They made butterflies flutter in her stomach. She stood up properly and wandered across the room to her bed, where she flopped down on her back. She stared up at the ceiling and mulled. She hadn't exactly got very far with Step 6. It was proving to be the most challenging so far. Although she loved the Doctor completely, she had to admit that she really didn't want to inflate his ego any more than was necessary. His smugness would be unbearable. She thought hard. She sighed. All this planning, all this devising, it really wasn't good for her. She knew that he would see through any insincerity on her part. Whatever she said next, it had to come from the heart. She yawned. It would have to wait.

----

The Doctor was still in the library. He hadn't taken his eyes off the note since Rose had left the room. He couldn't believe that she thought she had to do something like this. He actually grinned in glee. _If she's doing something like this, it must mean that she... I don't know. What _does _it mean? _He didn't dare let himself think of the implications. He honestly thought that such a wonderful thing could never happen to him. His face fell at the thought. He sighed. He needed some time to think. Stuffing the note back into his pocket, he headed out of the library.

----

Rose made her way to the kitchen in her pink pyjamas and fluffy socks. Enough of this tiring flirtation for one day, she needed to rest. She stifled a yawn as she pushed the door open. She switched the kettle on and reached up to the cupboard for the hot chocolate. She felt a little guilty deep down. Going through all this hassle just to work out if he likes her. She smiled to herself, thinking of all the times that he had referred to her as his best friend. Maybe she didn't need to do all this. Maybe she could just tell him, or kiss him, or... something.

She shuddered as she lost her nerve. _No, stick to the plan for now,_ she decided. She finished making her drink, and held it up to her lips. She frowned. Where was that music coming from?

She wandered up the corridor with her drink, following the sound of the music. The closer she got, the more it sounded like a film soundtrack. She found the source of the noise, and noticed a door slightly ajar. She pushed it open a little more, and peeked inside. The only thing she could see was a blaring television screen, the rest of the room was in darkness. She hadn't seen this room before: it was cosy, not too big, with a large television mounted on the far wall. She stepped into the room to get a better look at the screen. She didn't recognise the film; for one thing the main characters were purple. She smiled as a purple mother hugged her two purple children.

"Mitochlorion: The Story of Family."

Rose jumped at the familiar voice, and turned to notice the outline of a body sprawled out on a comfortable-looking couch, barely visible in the glare of the screen. She smiled.

"Looks... good."

"Yeah, it is."

He really hadn't expected her to find him here, for one thing he thought she'd gone to bed. He felt slightly exposed, the mighty Lord of Time relaxing in front of the TV. It was the closest he ever got to domestic, and it didn't happen very often. That was why he was surprised when he found himself shifting on the sofa, carefully balancing his popcorn on his knee, before patting the empty space next to him and saying to Rose: "Room for a little one."

Rose grinned at the unexpected offer, and, even though she was exhausted, she shuffled onto the couch beside him. The Doctor took her drink off her while she got comfy, and Rose proceeded to snuggle up to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He gave her mug back, and awkwardly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She sighed contentedly, and her tired eyes returned to the screen. The family onscreen were now sat around something vaguely resembling a dinner table.

"I didn't think you'd be into this kind of thing."

The Doctor grinned, wondering if she was working on her plan again. He thought he'd get ahead while he could. So, with a coy smile, he replied: "There's a lot you don't know about me, Rose."

Rose smiled sleepily, all thoughts of The Test driven away by fatigue.

"And there's a lot you don't know about me, too."

The Doctor looked down at her with affection, noting the drowsy tone in her voice.

"Don't bet on it."

Rose used the last of her energy in an attempt to be sarcastic. "Oh really?"

He nodded to confirm his argument, absently stroking the soft material covering her arm.

"Really. You're favourite colour is pink, except if you're in a bad mood when you prefer grey. You don't like strawberries, but you like strawberry milkshake. The stuffed bear you've got on your bed was given to you on your third birthday and you christened him Mr. Bix. You cried for days when you lost your first pet hamster when you were eight. There was a time in your early teens when you wanted to make it as a surgeon, before you realised you hate the sight of blood..."

But there was no answer. Rose was fast asleep, her cheek snuggled into his arm, her mug slowly slipping from her hand. He took it away before she could spill, and shifted her weight against him a little. She sighed and wriggled in her sleep, her head slipping down into his lap, still facing the television. The Doctor swallowed awkwardly, and thought about moving her. But something made him stop. Instead, he just watched her, the film now completely forgotten. He slowly stroked her hair away from her face, watching her breathe in and out in a contented rhythm. This was against everything. All his ideas about domesticity, all the taboos he carried on from his home world. But the truth was, he could have watched her sleep for days.

_I could get used to this_, he thought.

----

_A/N: I know there's none of The Test in this chapter, I just wanted them to have a quiet moment to show it's not all about competition and testing responses: it's about _them_. Well, the next chapter is a lot more action-packed. Rose still tries to work on Step 6 while figuring out Step 7. The result? She decides to surprise the Doctor with a trip to Earth: to an event he would never have considered attending. All will be revealed in chapter 8!_

_Thanks for reading, please leave a review xx_


	8. For a Change

_A/N: Woohoo! Over one hundred reviews! I can't believe it. Thank you all so much! Xx_

Disclaimer: Oh, boy, so many for this chapter! Okay, here goes... I don't own Doctor Who, Bananaman, Flash, Dandy, or Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Whew!

Chapter 8: For a Change

Right. This was no time for games. This was time for action. She had wandered off track. But now it was time to get back to The Test. Rose checked her appearance in the mirror, and smoothed down her top. She'd spent a lot of time thinking about this, and she had worked out a plan of attack. Since she hadn't really got round to complementing the Doctor, she thought she would combine Step 6 with STEP 7: SHOW AN INTEREST. This is the one that really helped Shareen bag her prom date. The idea was to think up some way of showing them that you care about what's important to them, whether it be football or... time travel.

At first she'd had no idea what to do. What could she do for the Doctor that showed she cared? She guessed that helping him save the Universe three times a week wouldn't count, so she'd have to think of something else. It took her a long time to think of what was, in her opinion, the perfect idea, the perfect place to take him. She'd done her research and found out the location and time (including year). Not usually her type of thing, but she was sure the Doctor would love it. She smiled to herself, and headed to the control room.

She smiled as she found him gabbing away to the TARDIS, the hum of the magnificent ship altering pitch like a response. Rose couldn't help but smile. The Doctor looked up when he saw her approach, and grinned broadly.

"Hello! Right, let's go! I thought I'd take you to Roxhem: it's a planet that's all water except for a strip of land a mile wide running round the equator. What do you think?" His eyes sparkled in anticipation, and his hand hovered expectantly over the controls. Rose smiled at his eagerness.

"That does sound good, but I thought maybe... I could take _you_ somewhere. For a change."

The Doctor looked at her with intrigue, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. "But... you don't know how to fly the TARDIS."

Rose gave a small nod. "Well, if I tell you where it is, will you take us?"

"'It'? There's an 'it'?" Excitement was building in his voice.

Rose grinned. "Yeah."

The Time Lord exploded into a flurry of activity, almost jumping up and down on the spot. "Where-are-we-going-where-are-we-going-where-are-we-going?! Is there food? Bananas? Jelly babies? Are there animals? Oh, are we going on a Safari? Is it on Earth? We're going to Earth? It's gotta be Earth? Come on, where are we going?"

Rose giggled. He was such a child at times. She shook her head in mock despair. "Okay. Here you go." She passed him a note showing the year and time of the mystery occasion.

"York, England, 4242? Really?"

"Trust me."

The Doctor looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but started dancing round the controls, inputting coordinates and generally making sure the TARDIS materialised on the right continent in the right century. Rose smiled, stepping over to him, letting her hand stroll over his back and down his arm. Such a simple move, but she swore she saw him freeze in his actions just for a moment.

The TARDIS landed with a reluctant groan, and the Doctor pulled on the lever he called 'the handbrake.' Rose was almost as giddy as the Doctor by this time, and grinned like a maniac as he grabbed her hand and headed for the door. They stepped out, and the Doctor froze at the sight in front of him. Rose smiled: the TARDIS seemed to have played along with her plan, and had landed them at exactly the right place. Rose patted the door frame affectionately, and turned back to the Doctor, who hadn't moved since he'd stepped out of his ship.

"Well... what do you think?"

"I... um... I don't know what to say."

She was starting to feel nervous. "Why, is something wrong?"

"Erm... not wrong, just... unexpected." He turned to reassure her with a grin. "Well, I like science, I like... fiction, I just never thought they make much sense when you put them together."

Rose was stumped at that, but smiled as she noticed a twenty foot high cardboard cut-out of a yellow-and-blue-clad super-hero. "There's Bananaman."

The Doctor grinned in sudden delight, grabbed her hand, and ran into the crowd head-first towards the image of Bananaman.

In all his years of travelling, he'd never thought of going to one of these things. And he was reluctant to admit how much he was enjoying himself browsing through comic books and science fiction films, laughing at the ridiculousness of the design of various trinkets and priceless memorabilia. Rose grinned. She'd seen an advertisement for this event in a magazine she'd picked up once: 'York, June 9th 4242- A Celebration of Science Fiction and Comic Genius.' _So, basically, mega-con. I can't think of anything better suited for him,_ she'd thought excitedly, writing down the details.

The Doctor dragged her by the hand towards the Bananaman section, flicking through a comic to get the gist of the story.

"Rose, listen to this!" he exclaimed just a little too enthusiastically. "He's just a kid, and he eats a banana and becomes a superhero! That's the dream!"

Rose shook her head, and would have blushed in embarrassment for him, except several onlookers seemed to be nodding in agreement. A man wearing a 'Flash' t-shirt and an air of self-appointed authority glared at the Doctor.

"Excuse me, sir. That's a mint comic book, you can't just _read_ it like that!"

A blank expression filtered onto the Doctor's face as he looked at the man. A wild smile escaped his lips. Rose groaned at the expression; he was about to do something stupid.

"No, Doctor, don't-"

"-I'll buy every single edition!"

----

They fell into the TARDIS, both carrying a large pile of wrapped, mint comic books. Rose was just glad that there had been a cash machine within walking distance, or the situation would have been even more embarrassing. But the Doctor had disappeared, and, with a whirr of his sonic screwdriver, returned with a pile of notes clutched in his hand, much to the delight of the guy wearing the 'Flash' t-shirt.

Rose followed the Doctor, who had disappeared down the corridors to the library. She dumped the comics on the floor against a bookshelf, and went to sit next to the Doctor, who was already on the sofa, glasses on nose, devouring issue one of Bananaman.

"Apparently, Bananaman appeared in Dandy for years, but there was a revival in 2022 when they made a whole new comic book just for him!" he said excitedly. "It says mouldy bananas are like his Kryptonite, but why would he eat a mouldy banana in the first pl-"

He sat up straight, realisation hitting him like lightening. Rose grinned up at him. "What?"

"I just got it! Year 4242! 42! Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That's _genius_!"

Rose couldn't help laughing. "And you said you didn't like science fiction."

"No, I said it didn't make _sense_..." The conversation drained away as the colourful illustrations caught his eye.

Rose shifted to look over at the comic, and he looked at her. Something about that look made her quiver. Behind those glasses was a look she never really saw in him – light-hearted happiness. It was... nice.

"Well, this was a great idea, Rose. Thank you." He smiled genuinely, before clicking his fingers. "I almost forgot, I got this for you while we were there..."

Rose grinned politely, but was dreading the mystery gift. "But, Doctor, I don't _like_ sci-fi-"

She stopped abruptly as he held up a silver ring with a rose crafted from pink glass adorning the centre. Rose gasped.

"Wow... that's not from sci-fi..."

"Hmm, it is, just not Earth sci-fi," the Doctor explained, apparently now an expert on the subject having discovered science fiction three hours ago. "It's from a Fergo show called 'Rose of the Heart,' about a girl who travels with a mysterious stranger through space."

Rose giggled as the Doctor slipped the ring onto her middle finger. "Sounds vaguely familiar," she commented. "Thank you."

The Doctor nodded in amusement, not enlightening her any further on the topic. He was very happy with himself as he noticed Rose's watery-eyed reaction. Having decided to give her a taste of her own medicine, he'd thought long and hard about how he could start The Test. Then it had struck him: he didn't have to do them all in the right order. So he'd started with Step 7.

_Step 7 complete,_ Rose thought to herself, her expression smug. She looked over at the Doctor's genuine delight in his new hobby, and she couldn't help smiling genuinely.

She stood up and headed for the door.

"Rose?"

She turned back to find the Doctor gazing at her with a questioning expression. "Why did you do this for me?"

She smiled. "You make me happy, Doctor." With that simple, and slightly cryptic response, she left.

The Doctor felt his hearts flutter, and let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. It was the nicest compliment she could ever have given him.

----

_A/N: Hope you liked. By the way, I'd love to know if Bananaman ever made it to American TV. _

_Chapter 9 will reveal step 8: the penultimate step, but not the penultimate chapter :) I don't want to spoil the surprise, but let's just say the Doctor makes a bold move and gets more than he bargained for!_

_Thanks for reading, please leave a review xx_


	9. UnDoctorish

_A/N: A big thank you again for everyone's support. And I'd like to say well done to _sekhmetkitty002 _for linking the Doctor's approach to The Test with the way he erratically travels through time. Hope you all enjoy chapter 9 xx_

Chapter 9: UnDoctorish

The Doctor stared down at the piece of paper, now crumpled from being in his pocket. He still didn't understand why Rose thought this necessary. Maybe it was some sort of human idiosyncrasy he'd missed. But he'd realised as soon as he'd found the paper that this Test was the cause of several days of unusual activity and behaviour on Rose's part. He thought it only fair to play along, on his own terms, of course. He would approach this _his_ way. If he wanted this to work, he had to do something unexpected, something particularly... unDoctorish. So he decided that, after the success of Step 7, he would proceed with STEP 8: MAKE A DATE, ANY DATE (THE MORE UNUSUAL THE BETTER). _Definitely_ unexpected and unDoctorish. He even surprised himself with the idea, and it had taken him several days to summon the courage he needed. Save the Universe? Walk in the park. Ask Rose a simple question? Impossible!

Rose had been similarly distracted these past few days. She was left with only two steps, and, in her opinion, if The Test was going to work, she couldn't work on Step 9 without confirming Step 8. This was the one that was going to be a nightmare. Because they went everywhere together, she had to think carefully about what could actually be considered as a proper date. The part that made her shudder was the fact that the Doctor would have to _know_ it was a date for it to count. And she really couldn't be sure of his reaction to that. It was so... domestic.

She eventually decided just to do it: just ask him. She had no idea what she was going to say, no idea what to suggest for a date, but she just decided to go for it. So, one morning, (or whatever constitutes a morning on the TARDIS) she strode determinedly from her room to the control room. She stood in the doorway and watched him fiddling with wires and cables around the console. She frowned to herself. He always noticed when she entered the room, but this time he didn't turn to look at her.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor finally turned to look at her, the look on his face proving that he hadn't even heard her come in.

"Rose."

His eyes were wide and his hair was wild. He looked... flustered.

"You alright, Doctor? You look a bit..."

"What?"

"I dunno... Distracted."

He stepped over to her, stopping a few feet away. She could hear his breath, rapid and shallow in his chest. His gaze was hypnotic.

Rose took a step closer, still not knowing what to say. She didn't have to.

"Rose. I'd like to take you somewhere new. Somewhere we've never been before. I was thinking about Jekista; it's the best spot for stargazing in the whole galaxy. What do you say?" He fumbled. "Just you and me."

Rose smiled at his awkwardness, feeling less embarrassed about her own nerves. "It's always 'just you and me,' Doctor."

The Time Lord visibly sighed in frustration. _Clearly I'm not getting the point across._ "I mean..._ just you and me_, Rose."

Rose felt her heart jump into her throat as he emphasised those words. _Does he mean what I think he means?_ She had to know. "What, do you mean, like... like a date?" she asked, watching for his reaction carefully.

By this point the Doctor was actually squirming. He scrunched his eyes and nose, then scratched the back of his head, then straightened his tie. "Um..." He swallowed, making his Adam's apple quiver in his throat. "Yeah."

Rose blinked in disbelief. Had he just said that? She had to be sure. She knew how fickle he could be when it came to domestics. "Really?"

The Doctor nodded, his face conveying as much surprise as Rose's. "Ye_p_. I mean, if you want-"

"-Yeah, I'd... I mean..." It was Rose's turn to stumble over her words. "Yeah, I'd like that."

A sudden spark of panic twitched in his mind. "Just one. One... date."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

The Doctor abruptly stopped nodding as realisation set in. He stared at her with dark, sparkling eyes, a twitch of a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. "Really?"

Rose suppressed a small laugh at the repetitiveness of the conversation so far. "Yeah, it sounds great."

They shared a small, mutual smile, before the Doctor stepped back out of the moment, leaving Rose sort of breathless. "Right," he exclaimed in his usual, powerful tone, "Whenever you're ready." He turned to the console, smiling to himself.

Rose's stood still for a moment, unsure what his last remark meant. She glanced down at her appearance: the usual jeans and t-shirt. She guessed that the best stargazing spot in the galaxy deserved a more elegant choice of attire, and headed out of the room.

Rose wandered the corridor in a daze. Had that actually happened? Just then, had he actually _asked her out on a date_?! She squealed at the thought, repeating his words over and over again in her mind. _I can't believe he did that, when I was gonna do the same thing!_ She paused at thought, wondering if it was truly coincidental, or if he could have found out about The Test somehow. No, he couldn't possibly...

She soon found herself in the wardrobe room. She had no idea what to wear – the Doctor hadn't exactly provided an abundance of information about their destination. The word 'elegant' kept springing to her mind, so she decided to go with that. She wandered the rails, absent-mindedly twirling a lock of blonde hair between her fingertips. She grinned as she felt the TARDIS brush quietly against the back of her mind, something she had started to get used to over these past few months. Her attention was drawn to a little, insignificant rail at the very back of the room, holding just one item of clothing. Rose's eyes sparkled at the sight of it. It was perfect!

----

Rose stepped in front of her full length mirror, smoothing down the fabric around her hips. It really was just perfect for her. It was a beautiful dress, midnight blue with black detailing, barely skimming her shoulders and flowing down to her calves. She'd salvaged a pair of black heels from the shoe cupboard in the wardrobe room, and found a pair of fluttery black earrings in her jewellery box. She'd wrapped her hair hurriedly around her curlers, leaving it hanging in loose ringlets around her face. She jumped a little as she heard a faltering rap at the door.

----

The Doctor strode down the corridor from his room towards Rose's. He'd changed, too, now wearing his tux and matching black Converse. He still couldn't believe he was doing this. He was panicking. He couldn't remember how he had got himself into this situation. It was so unlike him. He would never have done anything like this before. So why the change now? Why Rose? He didn't have time to think about that now. Rose's door was right in front of him. He rocked on his heels a few times, bracing himself, and rapped on the door. Rose appeared a moment later, her confused expression unnoticed by the amazed Time Lord.

"What are you-" Rose didn't get to finish.

"-You look... stunning," he breathed.

Rose couldn't stop a light blush flushing her cheeks. "Thanks," she replied in a near-whisper.

The Doctor seemed to collect himself a little, enough to look her honestly in the eye and offer her his arm.

"Dame Rose."

Rose took his arm with a cheesy grin, her heart pounding in her chest. "Sir Doctor."

"The stars await."

----

_A/N: I know that's an evil place to leave it, but I want to make sure I'm writing this just right, so I'm taking my time. Hope you enjoyed it, hope it was believable. Please take a moment to review xx_


	10. Date on Jekista

_Hello again! Okay, I know that was a horrid cliffhanger, but here's the next part. Once again, thanks to everyone for supporting this story, you guys are great! Big hugs xx_

_Also, thank you to _Raspberry-popsicle _for pointing out my spelling error xx_

Chapter 10: Date on Jekista

The Doctor let Rose step out of the TARDIS first, and the warm air hit her like a delicate blanket of silk. She breathed it in; it smelled like lemon-grass and springtime, but was as warm as summer. A stray leaf fluttered past her, and her gazed followed it's meandering path on the breeze. This place was beautiful: shrouded in twilight, the first stars were just appearing in the sky as two orange suns fell to slumber. The TARDIS had landed in a seemingly endless field of deep green grass that seemed to glisten with pollen. The grass was being blown this way and that in the gentle breeze, causing swirls of the enchanting pollen to fill the air like clouds of stardust. Far off in the distance purple mountains stood sentry, as if guarding this beautiful oasis. Rose drank it all in. It was... magical.

The Doctor watched her astounded expression, and couldn't help smiling. This was, in his opinion, the reason for travelling. To see those kinds of expressions on people's faces. On _her _face. He smiled as she held out her hand to pass though a fluttering sprinkling of pollen. Deep down, he was still in denial about the whole situation. There was no _possible _way he could have asked her out on a date. Was there? His head was beginning to hurt, so he tried to swallow his confusing and conflicting thoughts, and focus on the present reality. That was, he and Rose_ were on a date_. His stomach flipped excitedly at the thought, even as he tried to convince himself that this was all to get her back for The Test. He had memorised the list of nine supposedly infallible steps, and was determined to use them tonight. Maybe she would catch on, and he could reveal his whole plan with smugness and the pride of a Time Lord. But he rather hoped he didn't have to. He wanted to see where this would go...

He offered her his hand, and she took it with a hint of hesitation. Of all the countless times they'd held hands, it had always been platonic, at least in the Doctor's opinion. But now, this was different. This was intentionally different. It felt strange. Rose smiled to herself as she pressed her palm to his. It felt... right. She looked up at the Doctor to find him gazing down at her, a completely new smile on his face. A shiver travelled down her spine in response to his gaze, and she couldn't help but smile back. The Doctor gestured across the field.

"Shall we?"

Rose wanted to giggle at his politeness. Usually he just yelled, 'come on!' and she was dragged off to the next destination. She guessed he just wanted to show off a bit.

They headed off across the field, little clouds of pollen swirling into the air with every step they took. The Doctor breathed in the atmosphere, his guard and doubt dissolving with every breath. _This isn't so difficult..._

"Well?"

Apparently Rose had been talking while he'd been in his own little world. "Sorry?"

"Where are we going?"

"Just over here," he said, pointing in the direction they were headed. "You'll see it in a minute."

They reached what seemed to be a precipice, hidden from view until they were right next to it. A narrow, winding path led down to a clearing in the grass, where stood a single table and two chairs, with a sort of cooking station several meters away. The grass all around the clearing seemed to glow with fireflies, illuminating the table in a natural dewy glow, perfect for stargazing. Rose squealed in delight, and squeezed the Doctor's hand.

"Aw, it's beautiful, Doctor!"

The Doctor chuckled to himself, and squeezed her hand back. "After you," he said.

Rose carefully made her way down the winding path, never once letting go of the Doctor's hand. The Doctor skidded a couple of times, almost losing his footing, and grabbed Rose's shoulder with his spare hand to steady himself. Rose's skin tingled at the contact, making her blush a little.

They reached the clearing, and the Doctor pulled out a chair for Rose. Rose giggled, and sat down. The Doctor sat down opposite her. The atmosphere was magical. There was no music, but a natural murmur whispered on the breeze, wrapping them in an invisible blanket. Rose looked around expectantly.

"Not exactly a restaurant..."

"Just wait."

A moment later a purple waiter in a smart suit appeared next to the table, seemingly emerging from the tall, swaying grass. The Doctor grinned his usual un-arming grin at him.

"Good evening, Miss, Sir," the waiter greeted in a throaty voice. "Welcome to Jekista. What can I get for you this evening?"

Rose was puzzled. "What, no menu? Specials board?"

The Doctor shook his head, and tuned back to the waiter. "What's your name, young man?"

"Frifos, Sir."

"Doctor, not 'Sir'," he corrected. "Nice to meet you, Frifos." He turned back to Rose. "Frifos here is a Fargillian; they are amazing cooks. They have a wonderful talent of being able to instantly cook any dish from anywhere and anywhen in the galaxy."

Rose's eyes widened. "Really?"  
Frifos nodded humbly. "It is what we do."

The Doctor leaned forward a little, his mind running at a mile a minute. "I'll have... steak and chips, please. Oh, and a banana milkshake!"

Frifos nodded again. Rose shook her head at the excitable Time Lord.

"All the meals in the galaxy and you choose steak and chips?"

"What's wrong with steak and chips?"

Rose just smiled to herself. "Well, I s'pose I'll stick with the Earth theme. Umm..." she pursed her lips in thought, a movement the Doctor couldn't help but notice. "...I'll have... spaghetti bolognese, please."

Frifos disappeared over to the cooking station and set to work at a phenomenal speed. The Doctor pulled a face at Rose.

"Spaghetti bolognese? That's worse than steak!"

"At least it's a change from chips."

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, both of them finally realising that this was actually _a date_. Rose looked up at the Doctor to find him staring at her.

"What?"

The Doctor blinked. _Right. This is it. Time to start working on The Test. Time for some payback. Time for-_

"Doctor?"

The Doctor scoured his mind for something to say, eventually landing on one of those nine steps.

"Um..." _Compliment her, compliment her! _"You look..." _Any compliment at all!_ "...You look very... blonde tonight."

Rose glared at him. He gulped. _Probably not the best thing to say_.

"What do you mean by that?"

"N... nothing."

"You saying I look thick?"

The Doctor tried desperately to backtrack. "No, no, no, I mean you look lovely. Really."

Rose ran a strand of her blonde hair through her fingers self-consciously. "Then why d'you say I look blonde?"

"I don't know; you _do_ look blonde."

"But what's that supposed to _mean_?"

"I-I..." he stammered. "I don't know. I... I _like _blonde, blonde is good! Rose, you look lovely!"

She raised a wary eyebrow, and left it at that.

He sighed. _Narrow escape. This is going to be harder than I thought..._

_----_

_A/N: Okay, that's all for now. The Doctor continues to make a hash of the date in chapter 11. Thanks for reading, please leave a review xx_


	11. Appropriate Answers

_A/N: Hello all! Sorry this chapter has taken so long, I've been mega busy this week! Thanks again for all your support! Hope you enjoy xx  
_

Chapter 11: Appropriate Answers

The Doctor let out a visibly relieved breath as Frifos the waiter returned from his cooking station with their meals. He hadn't been able to think of a single thing to say since he'd complemented her for being blonde. '_You look very blonde,' what kind of twisted complement was that?_ He groaned at the thought. He had his trusted note in his pocket, the list of nine magic steps that would apparently lead to some change in their relationship. Trouble was, this idea of flirting was so... alien to him, he really had no idea how to go about it.

He ran over The Test in his mind as he thanked Frifos and tucked into his steak.

_Find out her name- well, obviously don't need that one._

_Make sure she liked men..._ Bitter memories of her flirtatious nature with Captain Jack and that unmentionable fool from a certain museum made him cringe._ Definitely likes men. But does she like me?_

_What will she do for me?_ The Doctor didn't particularly like going through the list this methodically, in his eyes hardly creative enough for someone like him. But, in his current state of panic, he couldn't think of another way around it.

"Rose?" he said abruptly. Rose looked up at him, her eyes seeming to shine in the starlight. "If I asked you to do something, would you do it?"

A million images flew through Rose's mind at his question, and she had to bite her lip to stop a her immediate answer.

"Um, what do you mean, Doctor?"

He thought fast. "Well... if I said we were in trouble, for instance, and we had to hide, and we'd have to stay in one place... would you do it?"

"Of course I would," she answered without hesitation.

The Doctor nodded. "Well, what about... if I sent you somewhere, for your own safety? Would you trust me?"

"Yes."

"You didn't the last time," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He didn't really want to bring up that particular topic. She probably remembered very little of it anyway...

"Why do you ask, though?"

He tried his best at a nonchalant shrug. "Just wondered."

Rose was a little hurt. He really didn't think he had to question her loyalty, did she? After all this time by his side? She tried not to get worked up about it, and turned her attention back to her pasta.

The Doctor eyed her curiously. Surely The Test wasn't supposed to have this kind of effect?

_Okay, what's next?_

_Make her jealous. How am I supposed to do that_?

A sudden thought struck him. He smiled to himself, pretending to stifle a chuckle.

Rose looked at him again, a blonde ringlet falling to brush against her cheek. "What's so funny?"

The Time Lord feigned ignorance. "Hm? Oh, nothing, I was just thinking about the last time I was on this planet."

Rose raised an eyebrow in interest. "You've been here before?"

He nodded. "Not here, specifically; the other side. Big mountains round there, big _big_ mountains. Sarah Jane stepped right up to the edge of a 10,000 ft drop, and went so dizzy I nearly lost her over the edge."

Rose sighed. "Sarah Jane."

"Yeah," the Doctor watched for her reaction carefully, feeling a little guilty about mentioning Sarah Jane at a time like this, but far too curious to stop now.

Rose shifted awkwardly in her seat. This date was _not_ going as she had hoped. If she was the one with a plan in place, why did he seem so full of himself? So contradictory?

The Doctor frowned at her confused expression, and reached over the table to take her hand in his, running his cool fingertips in circles on her palm, sending sparks up her spine. Rose couldn't believe this. It wasn't fair. This was so unlike him.

"Rose, what's wrong?"

Rose glared at him. "What d'you mean what's wrong with me, what's wrong with you?"

The Doctor grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows, his fingers circling her palm now moving slowly up her wrist.

"Rose, I can assure you, there is _nothing_ wrong with me."

Rose pulled her hand away, albeit reluctantly. The Doctor saw her expression change from one of worried curiosity to one of outright disgust. Something he _never_ wanted to see on her face. He felt so guilty for putting her through this. He sighed.

"Rose, I'm-"

"-Forget it!" Rose stood up, her knee hitting the table painfully in the process. She turned from the table and stormed away.

The Doctor called after her, remorse tugging at his hearts.

"Rose, please, I'm sorry..."

----

The Doctor stepped through the long grass, pollen clouding round him, clinging to his suit and making it glisten in the starlight. He hovered over the half-hidden mass of blue cloth in the grass.

"Rose, I'm sorry."

No answer, but the blue mass on the ground shifted a little.

"Rose?"

A sniffle. "Go away."

"Nope, shan't." He sat down in the grass with a loud exhale, and picked at a convenient blade of pollen grass.

Rose's head emerged from the grass, her hair laden with pollen, giving her an ethereal glow. She had obviously been crying: the remains of her tears stained her cheeks. It broke the Doctor's hearts to know that he was the one who'd made her feel like this. He tried to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"I'm really sorry, Rose."

"What made you be like that?" she asked in a bitter tone. He really couldn't blame her.

"I..." he didn't want to lie, but he couldn't bear to tell her the truth.

"Well, you've been acting really strange lately, and I just... Rose."

He reached over for her when she burst into tears again, tears of annoyance mixed with her own feelings of guilt. But she shrugged his arms away.

"No, Doctor!"

Her eyes were wide with emotion, her face flushed and glowing. And at that moment the Doctor's reserve, his 'plan,' his inherited taboos and fears collapsed in a pile in his chest. How could he have been so shallow? Did he really need a test to determine her feelings?

She might have been yelling at him, he couldn't be sure. He could hear nothing but the beating of his own hearts in his ears. He had to stop this...

Tears were falling uncontrollably from Rose's eyes. She knew she had no real right to be angry with him, as she'd started this whole charade. But still, he was just so... so...

She had no time to think of an adjective, as she suddenly found his lips pressed firmly against hers.

Time seemed to stand still, defying reality in that one unbelievable moment, before the Doctor pulled back, eyes still alert, searching her face for something... anything.

Rose just looked back at him, her eyes void of any reaction. _That didn't happen. That couldn't possibly have happened. Could it?_

The Doctor took a deep breath. He had to tell her.

"I found your test."

"What?"

"The Test. I found it in one of the books in the library."

Recognition spread across Rose's face. She'd forgotten where she left that list, and to know that the Doctor had found it... well, it was mortifying.

"Why didn't you say something?" Her voice was accusing, hiding her embarrassment.

His mouth opened and closed involuntarily. "I, um... I don't really know."

Rose's expression was slowly changing as further realisation hit her. "You've been acting weird, too..."

The Doctor shifted, resting his hands on the ground behind him. "Have I?"

"Yeah. Have you been... trying The Test?"

The Doctor actually blushed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Liar!"

"Flirt!"

"Mean alien!"

"Tease of a human!"

Rose glared at him, trying to think of an appropriate response. She thought of one.

With one swift movement, she reached over with both hands, pulled him to her and kissed him.

----

_A/N: A rather abrupt end, but you know how I love cliffhangers! Hope you liked, please take a moment to review xx_


	12. Step Nine

_A/N: Once again thank you everyone who has reviewed/ favourited etc. so far! _

_Here we go, chapter 12. Hope you enjoy xx_

Chapter 12: Step Nine

_Previously..._

Rose's expression was slowly changing as further realisation hit her. "You've been acting weird, too..."

The Doctor shifted, resting his hands on the ground behind him. "Have I?"

"Yeah. Have you been... trying The Test?"

The Doctor actually blushed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Liar!"

"Flirt!"

"Mean alien!"

"Tease of a human!"

Rose glared at him, trying to think of an appropriate response. She thought of one.

With one swift movement, she reached over with both hands, pulled him to her and kissed him.

----

Rose pulled back a little, not daring to meet his eye. Her hair was now in wild disarray, and she pushed a few loose ringlets back behind her ear. The Doctor stared at her, his jaw slack and his voice had escaped him.

"Uh..."

Rose stood up abruptly, sending up a cloud of pollen. The Doctor joined her, not wanting her to run off again. Not after something so... monumental. She still refused to look at him. The Doctor considered her expression and thought his hearts might break, right there and then. The pollen in her hair glowed in the starlight, and he couldn't help but reach out and touch it. He let a strand of golden hair slide through his fingers, and, against her better judgement, she let him. She eventually managed to look up at him, her cheeks flushing.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

The Doctor stepped closer, his hearts pounding. He couldn't believe he was doing this, it was so unlike him.

"I'm not."

Rose was trapped now. Her eyes were locked with his, she couldn't move. She barely managed to talk, having to settle with a stammer.

"But... but w-we don't... do that."

The Doctor took a deep breath, not wanting to hope, but just wishing... His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I think we just did."

Rose couldn't stop a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Then a thought passed through her mind, and she slapped him on the arm.

The Doctor stumbled back slightly, surprised at the unexpected reaction. He glared at her, slightly amused.

"What was that for?"

"You ruined the meal!"

For the first time in days, a heavy weight lifted from his chest and he felt honest and open. He grinned cheekily at her.

"You mean 'the date'?"

Rose couldn't help but giggle. "You can't really call it that. You were a _terrible_ date, Doctor."

He nodded, for once admitting his shortcoming. "I know, and I'm sorry."

Rose tried her hardest not to smile. "Still mad at you."

He sighed, and looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"I'll make it up to you."

Rose stood with her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips.

"Really?"  
"Really."

"How are you gonna do that then?"

A smile slowly spread over the Doctor's face. He looked at an imaginary watch on his wrist, and without a word, he grabbed her hand and dragged her across the field at the speed of light, pollen swirling around them as they disturbed the long, swaying grass. Rose nearly stumbled several times, only to be pulled upright again by the Doctor's strong grip.

"Doctor! Where are we going?"

"No time, no time! You'll see!"

He abruptly came to a stop at the edge of a cliff, and sat down in the grass, dragging Rose down with him. She fell almost on top of him, but managed to pull herself into a more dignified position.

"So what was the big rush for?"

He grinned, and wiggled his eyebrows in an attempt to be mysterious. He pointed up to the sky. Rose looked up, and gasped at the sight above them.

The sky was lit up with the twinkle from a thousand stars, all making their first appearance in the cloudless night sky. Several were so close she could see the shades and shapes of their uniqueness shining through the atmosphere. It truly was stunning.

"Wow. Doctor. It's... beautiful."

"Yes. Beautiful," he agreed, without taking his eyes off her.

Rose glanced at him, her very human heart pounding in her chest. She noticed the pollen dancing in his riotous hair, and couldn't help leaning over to brush it away, mimicking his earlier movements. He closed his eyes at her touch, and Rose nervously pulled her hand back. The Doctor opened his eyes at the loss of contact, and gazed at her with such intensity that she blushed.

"Rose..."

He had no idea what to say. He sighed, and pulled the crumpled slip of paper from his pocket.

"... I really don't think we need this, you know."

Rose nodded, and the Doctor scrunched it up and threw it over his shoulder. Rose looked at him in mock disgust.

"Litterbug!"

The Doctor smiled weakly, unable to tear his eyes from hers.

"So..." Rose questioned. He knew that tone. She was testing the ground.

The Doctor shuffled closer, making Rose's breath hitch in her throat.

"I'm sorry I ruined dinner."

"'S okay."  
"No, it's not." He was obviously annoyed with himself, something that Rose found more than a little endearing. She smiled.

"I guess it's my fault, too. I mean, I started all this stuff. Shareen's stupid Test."

"Rose, why did you think you had to do this in the first place?"

Rose glanced down at the grass. "I dunno. I guess, I just wanted to know... where I stand."

She cringed a little, uncertain of the reaction she'd get. But she found him gazing at her with a look of unashamed amazement.

"Rose. You never cease to amaze me."

She smiled uncertainly, still unsure of what he meant.

The Doctor unconsciously took a deep breath. If she only know what she did to him... what she _meant _to him...

He leaned over closer to her, sliding his fingers carefully around her delicate jaw, hovering just over her lips, giving her a chance to pull back, to leave their relationship as close to platonic as possible. Rose blinked, unable to believe this was reality. It _must _be a dream. Before this dream could be torn away from her, she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips firmly against his.

The solidity and passion she was presented with pushed any doubt from her mind. This was definitely real. She was kissing her Doctor.

They pulled back, and Rose let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She offered a shaky smile and was rewarded with a wide grin and a low chuckle.

The Doctor's hearts were thumping uncontrollably. He could feel goosebumps all over his body. His lips tingled from their kiss. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy. He pulled on Rose's arm gently, and she obliged, shuffling closer to him, their mouths hovering once more.

The Doctor brushed a stray wisp of hair from her face, his eyes penetrating her soul.

"Does this count as Step 9, then?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Rose giggled, but couldn't help the shyness in her countenance. "We're getting there..."

----

_A/N: Hope everyone liked it. There's only one more chapter left, I'm afraid. Next time, our two favourite time travellers have a revelation for Jackie, and the Doctor has two revelations for Rose. Until next time... _

_Please review xx_


	13. Passing The Test

_A/N: Here we are, the final chapter, 13, unlucky for some, but not for Rose!_

_A great big thank you hug to everyone who has taken the time to read this and thank you all for your support xx_

Chapter 13: Passing the Test

There had never been a more awkward situation in the history of time and space. Rose sat on the edge of the squashy sofa in her mum's flat, nursing a hot drink, not daring to look up. Jackie was sat next to her on her right, staring, one moment at the Doctor, then at her daughter, then back to the Time Lord, who was sat in an armchair opposite them, trying to look at anything in the room to avoid Jackie's gaze. No one had said anything for five hundred and thirty seven seconds, the Doctor knew by following the extraordinarily loud ticking of the clock. As far as he could tell, Jackie wasn't angry, just confused. She frowned and turned back to Rose.

"You sure nothing's wrong?"

Rose nodded emphatically, trying with all her might to ignore the flush rising up her neck.

"Yeah, mum, nothing's wrong, honest."

Jackie sighed in annoyance. "You just don't seem like yourselves."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Nope, definitely us."

"You haven't visited in a while." Jackie's voice was monotone and unwavering.

"Yeah, well... you know..." the Doctor stumbled. "Had a lot to do."

Rose sputtered and nearly choked on her tea.

Jackie raised an eyebrow at her daughter, before getting up and heading into the kitchen.

Rose and the Doctor let out a simultaneous breath. The Doctor quickly scooched over to sit next to Rose on the sofa.

"I can't breathe," Rose whispered.

"I know." The Doctor gripped her hand gently, a simple gesture that had taken on a whole new meaning of late.

Rose looked up at him in concern. Was he shaking?

"Let me do it," she insisted.

The Doctor shook his head vigorously. "No, no. I need to do this."

Rose's lip trembled slightly, half terrified, half amused. "She's gonna slap you."

He grimaced, unconsciously rubbing his cheek as if he could already feel the impact. "I know."

Half an hour earlier, they had stood in the doorway of the TARDIS, arguing about the impending disaster: they had to tell Jackie. The Doctor was insisting he do it himself, and Rose was unsure why. But his expression was so full of determination that Rose knew arguing would be pointless. So she let him.

Now, however, she was genuinely concerned for his safety. They'd only just walked into the flat, and Jackie had known something was different about them.

"Shareen was asking after you, love," came the call from the kitchen. "You should pop round and see her."

"Yeah, you should do that now, Rose," the Doctor agreed in an overly loud tone.

Seeing Rose was about to object, he raised an eyebrow at her. She pouted a little, and he couldn't help running his thumb over that lip, but didn't dare to risk a kiss, not with Jackie in the next room.

"Go on," he whispered, nudging her with his shoulder. Rose sighed in defeat, and squeezed his hand, before heading out of the flat.

The Doctor took a deep breath, and straightened his jacket. He headed into the kitchen. Jackie was fussing over some sort of meal, he supposed it was meant for them. He leaned against the door frame, and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Jackie, I need a word."

----

Rose walked up the stairs, turned right to find number 45, and rapped on the front door. A few moments later Shareen appeared, beaming at her friend.

"'S getting to be a habit, this," she said, wrapping Rose in a bone-crushing hug. Rose grinned at her friend.

"Well, I've just come back to see my mum, so I thought I'd come round."

Shareen eyed her curiously. "Something's different about you."

Rose sighed. How could everyone tell? "Nothing's different, Shar."

"Yes there is."

Rose just shook her head.

Shareen gave in for now, and decided to change the subject. "So how's The Test going?"

At the mention of the infamous Test, Rose blushed, and Shareen's eyes widened in glee.

"Oh, something _is _different! What's happened? Tell me!"

Rose couldn't help but smile. "I don't think it's meant to work in adult life. Best to leave it buried at school, I think."

Shareen's face exuded disappointment. "So... it didn't work? Nothing happened?"

Rose grinned cheekily. "I didn't say nothing happened..."

----

"I knew it. Something's wrong."

The Doctor stared at Jackie, fear evident in his face. He felt like he would spontaneously burst into flame under her glare.

"Um..." he really didn't expect his voice to sound so squeaky. "Nothing's wrong, per se. I, um..."

"Doctor, tell me. Is something wrong with my Rose?"

"No no no."  
"What is it then?"

He sighed. This was going to be painful. "Jackie," he started, stepping forward. "I made a promise to you, that I would always look after Rose, and I would always bring her back to you. And I always have."

Jackie nodded warily.

"So you know that I keep my word."

"I know, Doctor. What is this about?"

He glanced up at the ceiling before continuing. "So you can believe me when I say I will never take her away from you."

"Yes." She was getting impatient now.

The Doctor swallowed. "Jackie... Rose and I..." he had no idea how to continue. "We're... sort of..."

A look of realisation passed over Jackie's face, and he braced himself for the awaited Tyler Slap. But instead, he heard a soft laugh. He stared at her.

"What?"

"For a man who gabs all the time you're really making a hash of this, you know."

The Doctor nodded slowly, watching for her reaction carefully.

"Well?"

"Doctor, I think you've proven yourself for long enough. You sent her back to me to keep her safe, and that tells me enough."

The Doctor sighed in silent relief.

Jackie took a step towards him. "But if you _ever_ hurt her, Doctor, I will hunt you down, time and space be damned. And you will regret ever coming into her life."

The Doctor nodded seriously. "Jackie, I would _never_ hurt her."

Jackie eyed him, then mirrored his nod. She suddenly exploded into a huge grin and a squealy voice, and pulled him into an enormous hug, leaving him gasping for air, his arms flailing helplessly.

A little while later, Rose returned, slightly teary eyed after saying goodbye to her friend. The Doctor grinned at her, and nodded towards the kitchen. Jackie was just finishing packing a huge box of food. Rose smiled at her mum's thoughtfulness.

"Mum, we've got food on the TARDIS."

I know, but you never know when you might want some home cooking."

Rose raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, ADSA cooking, then," Jackie admitted. She held out her arms for her daughter, and hugged her close.

Rose was surprised, but returned the hug. She heard Jackie's voice tremble a little as she whispered in her ear.

"Just you be careful. I'm too young to be a grandmother."

Rose nearly died of embarrassment. "Mum!"

A few hugs later, Rose headed out of the flat, with the box of food tucked under her arm. "See ya, mum. Love you."

The Doctor just smiled politely. "Bye, then, Jackie."

She pulled on his arm and spoke in a quiet tone. "I mean what I said, Doctor."

He nodded. "I know. And so did I. I'll look after her."

"But I've seen that life of yours, Doctor. You can say that now, you'll look after her. But what about tomorrow?"

She stared at him, silently begging for an answer she knew he couldn't give. He left quietly, knowing by the look on Rose's face that she'd heard every word.

----

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor let out a sigh of relief, and Rose grinned, wrapping her arms around him. He pressed a kiss down into her hair.

"She didn't even slap you."

"Can't quite believe it myself."

"I would have told her, you know. She's my mum, after all," Rose looked up at him.

"_I _needed to tell her, Rose."

"Why?"

He sighed again, a troubled sigh, and pulled out of her embrace. He went over to the console, and flicked several switches before looking up at her again. She was staring at him intently.

"Rose, I know what it feels like to have your family torn away from you, everything you ever loved..." his voice wavered, and he composed himself before continuing. "I had to make sure she knew I wasn't going to do that to her."

Rose swallowed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She had no idea what to say. She didn't have to.

"Rose... I don't think you'll ever know how much this means to me," he managed to say in a voice that wasn't condescending.

"What d'you mean?" She stepped tentatively over to him.

"How much _you _mean to me, Rose."

Rose's lip trembled. "Then... tell me, Doctor."

He looked down into her eyes, and instantly got lost there. Deep in those beautiful eyes, he finally felt like he was home.

"Rose... I love you."

Rose's heart fluttered as the words permeated her soul. Her eyelids flickered, sending a single tear cascading down her cheek.

"I love you, too, Doctor."

The Doctor didn't react. He looked close to tears himself. Still gazing into her eyes, he whispered something so quietly she thought she'd misheard.

"That's not my name, Rose."

Rose could feel her heart pounding in her ears, and slowly reached out for his hand. "Tell me," she whispered back.

Slowly, but not uncertainly, he leaned down close to her, and whispered in her ear. The word felt strange on his tongue after so many years being unuttered. It embodied the Oncoming Storm, and it burned itself into Rose's heart and mind. She sighed shakily, and repeated it back to him. He visibly trembled, and looked back into her loving eyes. But there was a tiny spark of doubt in those eyes.

"What is it, Rose?"

"I..." she really didn't want to say it, but it had to be said. "What my mum said. She's right, you know. What about the future? What about tomorrow?"

The Time Lord exhaled loudly, and took both her hands in his. "You know I can't say for certain, Rose. I don't know about tomorrow," he replied honestly. "But we have today."

She looked up at him, and smiled a watery smile. "Today. Yeah. What shall we do today?"

The Doctor smiled, and pulled down a lever on the console, a groan erupting from the TARDIS.

"Today, we have the whole of time and space. Just me and you."

----

_A/N: Thank you all so much for reading, I'm so pleased with the response I've had. I know a lot of you really didn't want it to end, so in the future I will probably do a sequel. For now, I'm going to start a new story. Thank you to everyone who voted in my poll, I think I agree with the majority. So my next story will be The Three Sided Story, a mystery/romance, where the Doctor and Rose get stuck in the Bermuda Triangle. It'll be another 'will they/won't they?' story, just because I love writing the tension between them!_

_Thanks again everyone, please leave a review xx_


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